Free Stuff: Cascade Yarn

The end of March is upon us, which means it’s time to reveal another Geek-A-Long prize!

I love you @CascadeYarns. Lets run away together :) pic.twitter.com/EhjaiKetp8

— Dr. Megan-Anne Llama (@Doctor_Llama) March 7, 2014

We’ve waited a long time to officially announce Cascade Yarn’s generous donation. Some of us were better at keeping the secret than others. ::Cough::Megan-Anne::Cough:: But, now it’s finally time to share it with you.

At least, I will after this quick reminder:

When you post a picture of your finished Geek-A-Long blanket to the Ravelry GAL group in any of the three sizes (baby blanket, afghan, or full-sized), you will be entered into the raffle for that sized blanket. However, everyone in the group is eligible to enter the drawing for the fourth prize basket as our thank you for just being a member. If you’re not a member, however, it isn’t too late to join and get in on the fun! You can find everything you’ll need to know about the Geek-A-Long on the FAQ page.

And now, back to your regularly scheduled prize announcement…

It’s no secret that Megan-Anne and I love Cascade Yarn. Cascade 220 was our yarn of choice when we set out to make the Geek-A-Long blanket because of its good hand, minimal piling, and excellent take to blocking. And like the true fangirls that we are, Megan-Anne and I reached out to Cascade to let them know how much we love their product and what we we’re using it for.

We never dreamed they’d respond with so much generosity.

Along with the box of Cascade 220 they donated towards the completion of our GAL blanket, they sent four knitting kits to go into the group raffle. Each Cascade project bag contains one pattern and the yarn to make it with!

While you scroll down to check out the other three kits, we’re going to share with you the history of Cascade Yarns.

Cascade Yarns began in 1987, founded by Bob and Jean Dunbabin.  The two of them had a background in importing, through their business wholesaling and retailing oriental carpets.  The opportunity presented itself, when Bob was on a business trip in Canada on an effort to acquire a warehouse for investment.  There he met the sales manager from a British mill, and thus Cascade was begun.  That mill has since closed, but Cascade continued to grow over the years to become the company that it is now.

Bob and Jean’s mission was simple: work directly with spinning mills to bring high-quality knitting yarns to knitters.  The two of them believed that if you offered a better product at a better price that eventually people would buy it.  Bob and Jean had hoped that it would have been faster, but after 20 years the public began to recognize and trust Cascade as a brand it could trust.  A lot has changed since that time, but Cascade’s mission has remained the same: high-quality yarn at competitive prices.

When the mill they worked with in England closed in the 1990’s Bob Dunbabin went to Peru and found a mill that would make the yarn that became Cascade 220.  Other companies were importing yarns from Italy, Turkey, and Canada.  Peru was not known as a supplier of yarn.  People told Bob and Jean that this was odd and that yarn was best sourced from Italy.  Willing to stand out from the crowd, Cascade put aside preconceptions and went where a superior product, at better price, could be found.

Bob and Jean Dunbabin’s daughter-in-law Shannon joined the business in 2003.  Their son, Rob, followed about a year later.  Bob, Jean, Shannon, and Rob continue to run the business as a family, making most of their decisions over frequent family dinners.

There have been challenges.  One of these was the Nisqually earthquake of 2001, which happened while Bob and Jean were visiting the spinning mill in Peru and forced the immediate relocation of the Cascade warehouse and headquarters.  However, Cascade has continued to grow from its humble beginnings of a storefront in Historic Pioneer Square, a space currently occupied by a thrift shop.  Again, Cascade’s mission has remained as offering the highest quality yarns at affordable prices.

Thank you Cascade Yarn for your generous donations!

If you’d like to see the other Geek-A-Long benefactors, you can find them here. You can also find the previously announced prizes here and here.

~ Jac
Mmmm… so good.